Behavioral interventions for obese children can improve health, study says

BOSTON -- A panel of experts and researchers say obese children should undergo comprehensive coaching, according to a new study.

Nearly 1 in 5 children and adolescents in the U.S. have a body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that pediatricians refer children and teens 6 years or older with a high BMI to 26 hours or more of comprehensive, intensive behavioral interventions.

Such interventions are intended for both the parent and child and include group sessions, supervised physical activity and information about healthy eating. These interventions are important as children who are obese are more likely to remain obese into adulthood.

Clinical evidence suggests that such intervention has a moderate benefit when it comes to improvements in weight and quality of life.

In:
• Health
• Boston
• Obesity
• Health Care
• Children

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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